Painswick Park is located at 231 Ashford Drive. The park's redevelopment project was officially complete on September 8, 2023.
On September 7, 2023, the City of Barrie, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart), and the Canadian Tire Dealers’ Association (CTDA) celebrated the grand opening of the Muriel and A.J. Billes Family Playground. Guided by universal design principles, the 21,000-square-foot inclusive playground enables kids of all ages and abilities to play side-by-side.
All remaining fencing around the pickleball courts and other new features was removed on September 8, 2023.
Project Features
- A new inclusive play space
- Eight new pickleball courts with lighting
- An expansion of a portion of the granular parking lot
- A shade structure
- Extension of lit walkways
- Softball pitch
Inclusive Playground
The City partnered with the Canadian Tire Dealers’ Association and Jumpstart to build a new inclusive play space. The Muriel and A.J. Billes Family Playground, named in honour of Canadian Tire Corporation’s founding family, was built as part of Jumpstart’s Inclusive Play Project, which focuses on removing accessibility barriers to sport and play.
At over 21,000 square feet, the playground hosts a variety of imaginative and inclusive features that accommodate sensory, physical, and cognitive disabilities, enabling kids of all abilities to play side-by-side.
Pickleball Courts
Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping pong. It is an all-ages, many-abilities sport which can be played with low-cost equipment.
On March 28, 2022, City Council approved a motion to investigate construction of professional grade pickleball courts at Painswick Park. Funding was approved and directed towards the expansion of Pickleball courts at Painswick Park to create a tournament destination. Eight new pickleball courts with lighting were constructed as part of the redevelopment project and were opened to the public on September 8, 2023.
As a result, the proposed courts at Strabane Park and Victoria Woods Park will not be developed in 2024 but will still be considered as future location candidates. Barrie also has dedicated pickleball courts in Redpath Park and Eastview Community Park.
